Jerome Morrissey, newly appointed director of the National Centre for Technology in Education, will be based at Dublin City University. The centre will carry out the implementation of the "Schools IT 2000" programme, which includes the introduction of information and communication technologies (ICT) to schools and the professional development of teachers.

"Providing ICT hardware and materials to all schools is a major task. The more important challenge is the professional development of teachers in ICTs and the inclusion of quality multi-media materials in the daily teaching process," he says. Morrissey has been involved in the development of IT courses for the PLC sector as principal of Senior College Ballyfermot, Dublin. Over the next three years at least 60,000 computers will be provided for primary and second-level schools, with connection to the Internet. Also a minimum of 20,000 teachers will receive training in IT.